Be a father, if not, why bother, son?
A boy can make ‘em, but a man can raise one.
If you did it, admit it and stick with it.
Ed O.G., “Be a Father to Your Child,” from Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs’s Life of a Kid in the Ghetto, 1991
Posts Tagged With: east coast
It’s a beautiful day, and everybody’s feelin’ wonderful,
The ladies is out, lookin’ fly, dressed comfortable.
I love to wake up, and feel the breeze through my window,
Slip on fatigues, grab a dutch, and roll some indo.
Dead Prez, “Happiness,” Let’s Get Free, 2000
I go to Queens for queens to get the crew from Brooklyn,
Make money in Manhattan and never been tooken.
Go Uptown and the Bronx to boogie down,
Get strong on the Island, recoup, and lay around.
Rakim, “Juice (Know the Ledge),” from Eric B. & Rakim’s Don’t Sweat the Technique, 1992
It was magic, I felt the bond between us.
She was a jelly to my peanuts, Mars to Venus,
The Earth to my sun, moon and stars,
We added up mathematically…
It’s like I had a bad habit, B!
Ghostface Killah, “The Center of Attraction,” Twelve Reasons to Die, 2013
The last batter to hit, blast shattered your hip,
Smash any splitter or fastball—that’ll be it.
Pharoahe Monch, “The Next Shit,” Internal Affairs, 1999
The rap era’s outta control,
Brothers’ sellin their soul to go gold…
Going, going, gone, another rapper sold!
Parrish Smith, “Crossover,” EPMD’s Business Never Personal, 1993
I’m goin’ out first class, ain’t goin’ out coach.
MCA, “The Sounds of Science,” from Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, 1989. Remembering Adam Yauch, who passed away a year ago today. Rest in Peace, MCA.
Super-cali-fragalistic-expiali-docious,
Docious-ali-expi-fragalistic-cali-super.
Cancun…catch me in the room, eatin’ grouper.
Ghostface Killah, “Buck 50,” Supreme Clientele, 1999
Food for thought, eat my words with your mind:
Emcees are grapes, and grapes are crushed to wine.
MF Grimm, “Do It for the Kids,” 12", 1998
I’m complexicated like a Rubik’s Cube puzzle,
Who said I drink? I don’t drink, I guzzle.
Subroc, “Sweet Premium Wine,” from K.M.D.’s Black Bastards, 1994
It ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.
Rakim, “I Know You Got Soul,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid In Full, 1987
CIA, FBI, all they tell us is lies.
And when I say it, they get alarmed…
‘Cause I’m louder than a bomb.
Chuck D., “Louder Than a Bomb,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988
Inhale deep like the words of my breath,
I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.
Nas, “New York State of Mind,” Illmatic, 1994
I chop ‘em into salad and my name ain’t Caesar.
Black Thought, “@15,” from The Roots’ Rising Down, 2008
I ain’t the captain of the yacht, but I’m on the boat;
I ain’t acting what I’m not, knowing that I don’t.
You niggaz acting like you will, but I know you won’t.
Man, I read between the lines of the eyes of your brows,
Your handshake ain’t matchin your smile…
Beanie Sigel, “Feel it in the Air,” The B. Coming, 2005
Step to this and get shanked up,
I knocked out so many teeth, the tooth fairy went bankrupt.
Big L, “Let ‘Em Have it L,” Lifestyles Ov Da Poor and Dangerous, 1995
‘You claim to be the man, you want me for a lover,
So you can do my girlfriends and my sister and my mother?’I said, ‘You’re very blunt,’ with quickness to the cue,
‘So whassup with your mother, does she look as good as you?’
Dres, “Similac Child,” from Black Sheep’s A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, 1991
Cloned chickens walking around without heads,
The food is contaminated, the water got lead in it.
Population control, make the babies sick,
All these RFID chips, RU-486…
This is a war against consciousness,
Controlling your soul, sort of a psychological dictatorship.
And we are on the front lines,
Guilty as charged if intellect is a crime.
Pharoahe Monch, “W.A.R.,” W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), 2011
My mama didn’t see it comin, my daddy was there.
What’s my excuse? Cartoons were the root.
Started with Yosemite Sam
With the gun in the palm of the hand,
What couldn’t I demand?
Pusha T, “Young Boy,” from The Clipse’s Lord Willin’, 2002
Actions have reactions, don’t be quick to judge,
You may not know the hardships people don’t speak of.
It’s best to step back, and observe with couth,
For we all must meet our Moment of Truth.
Guru, “Moment of Truth,” from Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth, 1998
I’m your idol, the highest title, Numero Uno,
I’m not a Puerto Rican, but I’m speakin so that you know,
And understand, I got the gift of speech,
And it’s a blessin, so listen to the lesson I preach…
Special Ed, “I Got it Made,” Youngest in Charge, 1989
Peace before everything, God before anything,
Love before anything, real before everything,
Home before any place, shoot before anything,
Style and state radiate, Love Power slay the hate.
Mos Def, “Priority,” The Ecstatic, 2009
Every coast gotta know, I’m the most with the flow,
No joke I’m a pro, I’m like The Pope on the low.
AZ, “I Am the Truth,” The Format, 2006. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected as the 266th pope of the Catholic Church yesterday.
Long as I live large, life will be luxury,
Ladies in Lamborghinis…love is like luck to me.
Redman, “Hardcore,” from EPMD’s Business as Usual, 1990
…The greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th.
God bless his soul, rest in peace, kid.
It’s because of him now at least I know what beef is.
Canibus, “Second Round K.O.,” Can-I-Bus, 1998. RIP Christopher George Latore Wallace, best known as The Notorious B.I.G., born May 21, 1972, died March 9, 1997 at the age of 24.
You stackin cheddar cause you working at the burger place.
Inspectah Deck, “It’s Raw,” CZARFACE, 2013
What is the meaning of C.R.I.M.E.?
Is it Criminals Robbin’ Innocent Muthafuckaz Everytime?
GZA, “I Gotcha Back,” Liquid Swords, 1995
You can tell by the rhyme it’s my time to shine;
Let’s eat, motherfucker, I don’t dine on swine.
I don’t beef with turkeys, I told you the God’ll fold you,
Hard to digest: I suggest that you take tofu.
Sean Price, “Like You,” Jesus Price Superstar, 2007
The business of beauty isn’t a natural model;
It’s built to be the opposite of the cultures we topple.
These magazines got you caught in a hustle,
Cause when you starve yourself, your body doesn’t burn fat, it burns muscles.
Immortal Technique, “Natural Beauty,” The Martyr, 2011
God’s the seamstress that tailor-fitted my pain.
50 Cent, “Patiently Waiting,” Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 2003
Mix me with violence, blend me with peace,
Combine me with hate, and I can’t face defeat.
Diddy, “Someone To Love Me,” from Diddy-Dirty Money’s Last Train to Paris, 2011
Music business hates me cause the industry ain’t make me,
Hustlers and boosters embrace me and the music I be makin.
I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars…
They criticized me for it, yet they all yell ‘HOLLA!’
If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli.
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense,
But I did five mil…I ain’t been rhymin like Common since.
Jay-Z, “Moment of Clarity,” The Black Album, 2003
Why give you the cure when the disease makes money?
Talib Kweli, “The Traveller,” from J.Period’s Rage Is Back mixtape, 2013
Real, rough and rugged, shine like a gold nugget,
Every time I pick up the microphone, I drug it.
Jeru The Damaja, “Come Clean,” The Sun Rises in the East, 1994
She’s got charm, a firearm to match mine,
Goin to the movies packin his and her nine’s.
Wearin Carhartt and leather, motherfuck the weather,
On Valentine’s Day doin stick-ups together.
No one to blame, no shame in her game,
And when we fuck, she makes me scream out her name.
Apache, “Gangsta Bitch,” Apache Ain’t Shit, 1994
Fuck Compton.
Tim Dog, “Fuck Compton,” Penicillin on Wax, 1991. The Bronx rapper Tim Dog died today from a seizure following a lengthy battle with diabetes, reports The Source. He was 46. Rest in Power, Timothy Blair (1967-2013).
…Shorty’s laugh was cold-blooded as he spoke so foul,
Only twelve tryin to tell me that he liked my style.
Then I rose, wiping the blunt’s ash from my clothes,
Then froze, only to blow the herb smoke through my nose.
Nas, “One Love,” Illmatic, 1994
Consider youself lucky, that’s what friends say.
Cause I leave more heads touched, son, than Ash Wednesday.
J-Treds, “Praise Due,” 12", 1998
Remember when friends was friends, and LL had a Benz?
And cell phones and beepers was the new trends?
When Koch was the Mayor and Reagan was the Pres?
Biz Markie, “Turn Back the Hands of Time,” from Weekend Warrior, 2003. Rest in peace to the three-term mayor of New York city, who passed away this morning at the age of 88.
Some of you been trying to write rhymes for years,
But weak ideas irritate my ears.
Is this the best that you can make?
Cause if not, and you got more…I’ll wait.
Rakim, “Move the Crowd,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid in Full, 1987
I’m givin’ more flat lines to niggas than loose-leaf.
Kool G. Rap, “Go For Your Guns,” from Kool G. Rap and DJ Polo’s Live and Let Die, 1992
My sense of self and my mental health
Is much more powerful than any hint of wealth.
Guru, “Peace of Mine,” from Gang Starr’s The Ownerz, 2003
Now I’m not the type that gets upset,
Try to disrespect folks just to earn respect.
But learn this fact: whether white or black,
I can’t be conquered in my style of rap.
For jealousy and envy are dumb ones’ tools,
So Ricky says nothing, he keeps his cool.
Revenge is not a mission that the Ruler’s on,
Just forgiveness required for the wrong that’s done.
Slick Rick, “The Ruler’s Back,” The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988
I don’t get pat down, you know what’s on the waist,
I don’t mean Jazz when I say I “count base.”
Fly Louis sneakers, Purple Tape coming out the speakers,
Bumped into my high school teachers,
They said I wouldn’t be nothing, sitting on the bleachers.
Now I’m sitting in the Phantom, trynna figure out the features.
I’m a big fish now, I watch for the leeches.
Sheek Louch, “Pour tha Martini,” from Wu-Block, 2012
You got game like me? I doubt it.
They say pimping ain’t easy…what’s so hard about it?
A.G., “Fat for the 90’s,” from Lord Finesse’s Return of the Funky Man, 1992
I thought I’d probably die in prison, expensive taste in women,
Ain’t have no pot to piss in, now my kitchen full of dishes.
Nose bloody from that sniffin’, your heroin addiction
Trigger finger itchin’, fuck parental supervision…
Purple sippin’, finger twistin’, teeth glisten like it’s Memphis
A bunch of hypocritic Christians, the land of no religion.
A$AP Rocky, “LongLiveA$AP,” LongLiveA$AP, 2013
Hard times spreading just like the flu,
Watch out homeboy, don’t let it catch you.
Run-D.M.C., “Hard Times," Run-D.M.C. 1984. Visit the Flu Trends map on Google for more information on how the flu is impacting your community. Theme song: Beatnuts "No Escapin’ This”.
For 9-6, the only MC with a flu.
Yeah, I rhyme sick, I be what you tryin’ to do.
Jay-Z, “Brooklyn’s Finest,” Reasonable Doubt, 1996. Visit the Flu Trends map on Google for more information on how the flu is impacting your community. Theme song: Beatnuts “No Escapin’ This”.
Take a look at the police and how they treat you,
Take a look at these corporations that cheat you.
Democrats and Republicans are all see-through.
Now we votin for the lesser of two evils…
Man, don’t let ‘em deceive you.
This is an autocracy, not a democracy,
But to call this a democracy without mock interest
In the laws of society? That’s called hypocrisy.
KRS-One, “Pick It Up,” Maximum Strength, 2008
All we want in this life is peace, prosperity and a little paper.
Q-Tip, “Peace, Prosperity and Paper,” from High School High Soundtrack, 1996